Coronavirus: THIS new symptom of BA.5 Omicron subvariant appears at night-time, as per reports

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 had become dominant in the U.S. According to the health agency, this pair of Omicron subvariant has overtaken the so-called "stealth Omicron".

Reportedly, BA.4 and BA.5 are also behind the sudden rise in COVID cases in several countries including India.

As per Irish professor Luke O'Neill, "Most cases in Ireland at the moment would be BA.5, for instance, the same in the US. It's another curveball that has been thrown at us by this virus, and BA.5 is the dominant variant that's out there at the moment.”

So what makes this subvariant so concerning, even if it is said to cause mild infections.

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Along with the BA.4 subvariant of Omicron, BA.5 is said to be the most contagious subvariant, causing more than 50% cases in America. Just like its parent strain, the BA.5 sub-lineage is believed to be milder and more manageable than the previous variants such as the Delta.

However, the new subvariant is fast-spreading and very contagious. This has been attributed to their ability to evade immune protection induced by prior infection and/or vaccination.

What's worse is that experts believe that BA.5 Omicron has the ability to reinfect people within weeks of contracting the virus.

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According to Andrew Roberston, the chief health officer in Western Australia, the previous claims that an infection could provide a certain level of immunity against future infections may not pertain to the new strains, reports News.com.au.

“What we are seeing is an increasing number of people who have been infected with BA.2 and then become infected after four weeks,” the doctor explained.

“So maybe six to eight weeks they are developing a second infection, and that’s almost certainly BA.4 or BA.5," he adds.

In light of the new developments and rising COVID cases, it is very important to stay vigilant and to be aware of the signs and symptoms of the virus.

Trinity College Professor Luke O'Neill discusses the prevalence of a new sign of BA.5 variant, which could appear at night.

Talking to Newstalk’s Pat Kenny, he says, "One extra symptom for BA.5 I saw this morning is night sweats."

"The disease is slightly different because the virus has changed. There is some immunity to it, with the T cells and so on, and that mix of your immune system and the virus being slightly different might give rise to a slightly different disease - with strangely enough - night sweats being a feature," he adds.

Fever, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, body pain and gastrointestinal issues continue to be some of the commonly reported symptoms of Omicron and its subvariants.

Mayo Clinic defines night sweats as repeated episodes of very heavy sweating during sleep, heavy enough to soak your night clothes or bedding.

Besides COVID-19, it could occur due to several other underlying conditions. From alcohol use disorder, anxiety, hyperthyroidism, menopause to the intake of certain medications, many factors can lead to night sweats, as per the health body.

It is also common among cancer patients, especially those suffering with leukemia or lymphoma.

That said, if you experience night sweats, make sure you look out for other symptoms associated with COVID-19. The best way to establish whether or not you have coronavirus is by getting yourself tested.

As per Prof. O'Neill, although COVID vaccines are still our best shot against the virus, he believes that new and updated versions of the vaccines will be made available in the future, which will specifically target the variants.

"Both Pfizer and Moderna have said they'll have an Omicron vaccine by September, and they'll have a BA.4/5 by October,” he explained.

"So when we get to that point, it would make sense to start using those newer ones. But... the current one is still giving good protection anyway," he added.

Furthermore, he says that similar to the flu, one may need the vaccines based on the variants that's dominant.

There's no better way to protect yourself than taking precautionary measures. While getting your vaccine shots provides you with a certain level of protection, wearing your masks, maintaining social distance, and following proper hand hygiene can enhance your safety and keep infections at bay.